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ON THE PRINCIPLES OF PROMOTION OF BUDDHIST ECONOMICS II. by János Máté UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY, EUROPE.
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ON THE PRINCIPLES OF PROMOTION OF BUDDHIST ECONOMICSII. by János Máté UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY, EUROPE
This is how Australian diplomats Reg Little & Warren Reed introduce their book: “Civilizations are built around the myths and sagas which inspire the souls of men and women. More often than not the myths are built around the figures of sages, or spiritual leaders; Buddha, Laozi, Confucius, Socrates, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, to name a few.” (THE CONFUCIAN RENAISSANCE XV.)American scientists Joel Magnuson & John Hall also conclude this, by and large, in their 2004 opus (cf.: THE CONFUCIAN TRADITION AND THE ASCENT OF EAST ASIA). These myths and sagas are sometimes successfully exported from one culture into another.
However, more often than not, such exports yield poor results. One of the reasons is that they involve change. That is why the famous preacher, the late Anthony de Mello of India, wrote:‘Jesus proclaimed the good news yet he was rejected. Not because it was good, but because it was new. We hate the new… We do not want new things parti-cularly when… they involve change.”(AWARENESSpp. 18.) Another reason is that, unlike goods, ideas may not be easy to transfer from one region to another.
Dutch culture-anthropologist Hofstede writes “The export of ideas in other countries with-out regard for values context in which these ideas were developed… is not only limited topolitics, but canalso be observed in of edu-cation and, in particular, management and organization. The economic success of the US… has made people… believe that US ideas about management must be superior & therefore should be copied. They forget to ask about the kind of society in which these ideas were developed & applied. In the ‘60s the same happened with Japanese ideas” (Geert Hofstede: CULTURES AND ORGANIZATIONS 41) While promoting Buddhist ideas, we must be careful not to make the same sort of mistake. Rationalism in itself is not enough. One will put himself to danger if he advocates change…
It is likely that, in the West, Buddhist principles may not be widely accepted (even though most of them are in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ). The convulsive grasp of „sticking to our dualistic faith” shall wipe out the effort of environmentalists and peace activists. I suggest that – parallel with the „what” – we should lay down the fundamentals of „how”. Otherwise it may happen that (South) East Asian cultures find no western partners to co-operate with.
Western economies are run mainly by Christians. Anyone who endeavors to transfer there some Buddhist values is likely to be rejected. On this field no promotion of Buddhist ideas may be really successful unless one pays more attention to motives outside rationalism. Every one of the value orders is deeply rooted in some meta-physical concept. No new idea may alter any one of the value orders unless it comes through its parent concept.
Decisions are not entirely left for us to make. The patterns & standards, traditionally handed down in our community, exert subtle yet strong influence on us. Geert Hofstede names them: Software of the Mind. A typical non-western software of the mind has been bequeathed to us by one of the most respected scholars of ancient Egypt (nowadays better known for his Greek name: Hermes Trismegistus). As he pointed out: “Nothing can take shape in this material world unless there is an upper power to call it out.”The Jewish esoteric tradition (given in the Cabbala) says the same. It recognizes the existence of ideas (dharmas) as well as cycles (including reincarnation). It suggests that no idea may manifest in our physical world unless it has come through four Worlds or Steps. The story of an industrial product, for example, it is called out by its idea. In the next step, a relevant schematic diagram is created. Again the next step forms the prototype. The final step is the making (the production). Sport games, too, result
from those four steps. It is called out by its idea. Then the set of rules are created. Prior to the match, tactics determine some forms. The actual play happens in the world of making.In the Cabbalistic story, man is also called out by an idea. In the nextstep, the main characteristics create man’s spiritual schema:Adam Kadmon, who is formed into the prototypes of man & woman: Adam and Eve. The making results the descendants. All thesewould fit in cycles. The Cabbalistic world view is coded in the contextsof the Old Testament. Decoding it is difficult for the majority of people who know nothing of the nature of sutras.That is why they misinterpret the opening words of the Bible in which God is supposed to say: ‘Let there be manwho will be like God, and will have power over all animals’ (Genesis 1.26). They take these words verbatim, and fabricate a world view based on the following ideas:
„There is one personal God who is the creator of the Universe”. 2) „God used subcomponents to build totality. Holism is not worth serious consideration.” 3) The linear concept of time stamps out the theory of cycles. .
